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Home , Durrington Walls, Grange stone circle, Grooved ware, Newgrange, Timber circle, Woodhenge

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Sociery 6o, r994, pp. 433-443

Aspects of Ritual Deposition in the Late and Beaker Periods at , Co. Meath

I F Bv CHenres MouNrr :' i_ {- The passage tomb at Newgrange serued as a focus of ceremonial actiuity in tbe Late Neolitbic and Beaker periods. A complex of wds constructed around the mound, consisting of a or to the south-east and a smaller, possibly roofed, timber circle to tbe west; an enclosing bank constructed along tbe southern and western sides, and a free-standing circle of great stones encircling the . In this paper tbe uiew that the faunal and material remains from the Newgrange excauations are domestic refuse is questioned. Tbe deposition and spatial patterning of tbe faunal material is interpreted as hauing a ritual significance and the use of tbis material as representatiue of the Late l,leolithiclBeaker period economy is reiected

INTRODUCTION an emphasis on pastoralism and especially the exploita- The animal remains recovered from the Late Neolithic tion of cattle and pig, though not wild species, for their and Beaker phases of the Newgrange excavadons are meat (van Wijngaarden-Bakker r986, ror). She argued the only major faunal assemblage known from the Irish that the unusual age profile of the cattle remains (see Neolithic or Early . This assemblage is of below) reflected a transhumant or seasonal economy, importance for assessing not only the nature of the with cattle moved eastward to the coast for summer economy at Newgrange but, by extension, the economy grazing. Van Wijngaarden-Bakker thought the absence of the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods in lreland. In of saddle querns and grain rubbers at Newgrange recent decades patterns of structured deposition have important, indicating that cereals were not processed been recognized at a number of Neolithic monuments on the site. The presence of naked barley was explained (Richards & Thomas r984, Pollard 1992, zrg,Eogan by accepting that part of the catchment area must have & Roche ry93) in Britain and lreland. Viewed in this supported cereals, but van Wijngaarden-Bakker (ibid. light the Newgrange material provides important infor- ror) suggested that the bulk of the cereals might have mation on the ceremonial activities involving a pair of been obtained through exchange. (rS8S) l; timber circles (see below), and raises important ques- Woodman developed this view of the faunal tions about the overall nature of the activities, at the material and associated economy and suggested that the ii:l site. Boyne Valley was used seasonally by mobile commu- The prevailing assumptions 'regarding the faunal nities through the Middle and Later Neolithic. Cooney remains were strengthened by van Wijngaarden-Bakker (tg8Z; r99r) has disagreed with these positions, as GgZ+; r986)who analysed the animal bone from M.J. as previous views of the shifting nature of Neolithic O'Kelly's excavations. She accepted the excavator's agriculture in temperate climates, and argued instead interpretation of the material as the refuse from Beaker that the Boyne Valley could have supported a large squatting and assumed that it was the discard from a sedentary and stable population throughout the Neo- domestic settlement. She suggested that the stripping of lithic. He pointed out that only limited areas of poor sods to construct the passage tomb mound had quality pasture were de-turfed for mound construction. decreased the productivity of arable farming and led to He went on to argue (Cooney 1987, rr4-rrSi r99r,

r 3 5 ) that the large numbers of pigs at Newgrange may I r 8 Fox Hill, Wheaten Hall, , Co. Louth. indicate their ceremonial imoortance in relation to the

433 I i

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THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY timber circles rather than their economic importance. excavation analysis adopted this division and there are This paper will argue that a 'domestic'interpretation of no published finds list with coordinates. Until the pri- the faunal remains does not account for the deposition mary excavation record is re-examined in detail the of the animal remains within the pits and post-holes of faunal and material remains must be examined within the timber circles, the overall large number of pigs at the the parameters of this system. site or the exceptional aspects of the associated material Sweetman (rS8l) excavated portions of the western assemblage and its deposition. Nor does it appear to and south-western part of the eastern timber circle in account for variations in the relative percentage of t98z-83. He found that the outer row of holes had animal parts found within the faunal material in other been dug to accept timber posts. A second row of pits areas of the site. This paper is not a definitive statement, had a lining and evidence for prolonged burning a comprehensive re-examination of the excavation and appeared to have been used for the of record is required for that, but is a review of the animal remains. The inner three rows of pits had no published evidence intended to reopen discussion about evidence of post-holes and Sweetman suggested that the nature of the Late Neolithic and Beaker activity at they had been dug to accept deliberate deposits of Newgrange. cremated animal bone. He compared the timber circle to examples at'Sfoodhenge (IX/ainwright ry79), Dur- THE EXCAVATIONS rington Valls (Wainwright & Longworth r97r),Mar- The area near the entrance of the main passage tomb at den (lfainwright r97r), (Clark ry36),the Newgrange was excavated by M.J. O'Kelly between Sanctuary, Overton Hill (Cunnington r93r; Pollard 196z and r97 5 and later by David Sweetman in r98z- r99z) and Mount Pleasant ('Wainwright ry79). The 8a (Fig. r; see O'Kelly 1982, O'Kelly et al. ry83; internal arrangement of pits was also paralleled at Sweetman ry85; ry87). O'Kelly excavated an area (Burl r969,7), Maumbury Rings (Bradley measuring r44 m east to west by a maximum of 48 m r976), Llandegai (Houlder r968), and Dorchester on north to south and uncovered r7 well spaced , Thames (Atkinson et al. ry5r) where there was also most of which appear to have been open air, a large evidence of pits, some in circular arrangements. number of pits, some of considerable size, post-holes, Although the pits at these sites were used solely for and a number of structures, some defined by bedding deposition rather than burning the function of the trenches and others by post-holes (Fig. z). These were Newgrange pit circle was clearly similar. At , ranged around the front of the monument, near the Fife, however, similar pits were used for burning entrance and to the east and west of it. An oval stone (Mercer r98r). An area was noted within the eastern setting was situated just a few metres to the east of the Newgrange circle consisting of post- and stake-holes entrance and an oval about 8 m south of it. South of associated with charcoal spreads, Beaker , and this was the great oval pit and to the west was the dense concentrations of mostly unretouched flint flakes. C-shaped trench enclosing No. r3. A structure Similar knapping debris have been noted at the Sanctu- at the very west of the excavated area was defined by ary, and (Pollard 1992, zrr). two parallel lines of post-holes running north-east to Sweetman (1985, zr4-zr5) reinterpreted the Late south-west and two parallel ditches running north-west Neolithic/Beaker sequence at Newgrange. O'Kelly had to south-east and was apparently roofed. This structure argued that the circle of great stones was contemporary was partially burnt and covered by a bank of yellow with or earlier than the passage tomb. He had illus- clay and subsequently partially enclosed by the circle of trated slip covering large areas of the Late great stones. O'Kelly also uncovered the north-western Neolithic/Beaker activity (O'Kelly r982,82, pl. 3 3 ) and portion of the eastern timber circle. hearths z and 5 were also stratified above Beaker pits For the purposes of recording O'Kelly divided the (O'Kelly et al. r983, r84, pl.6) indicating the pit circle Newgrange excavations into three areas, a western unit, pre-dated some of the Late Neolithic/Beaker activity. situated between kerbstones K6 and Kzr, an eastern Sweetman (t985, zr5) found no pottery in the pits of unit, between kerbstones K9z and K8o, and the central the timber circle which he excavated and argued that unit, between kerbstones K6 and K9z. These are gross O'Kelly's assertion that he had found pottery in the divisions imposed on the site by the excavator and bear timber circle was incorrect. He proposed a two period no relationship to the way in which the contempo- Late Neolithic/Beaker activity with the initial phase raneous people viewed or used the site. But the post- consisting of the construction of the timber circle fol-

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lowed by the use of the Late Neolithic/Beaker hearths Grogan (t99t, rz6-13z) has analysed the corpus of and associated activity and subsequently the construc- radiocarbon dates from the excavations at Newgrange tion of the great . and . He noted 3r dates which indicated Late ln ry84 Sweetman GgSZ) excavated an area 5o m to Neolithic/Beaker period activity which extend from the west of the passage tomb and uncovered two paral- 2855-zt4o cal. BC (at one sigma), including 16 from lel concentric rows of post-holes and pits forming the eastern timber circle. He argued on archaeological another timber circle about zo m in maximum diam- and radiocarbon grounds that a Late Neolithic phase eter. The excavator interpreted this as a two phase involving the introduction of Irish pot- monument contemporary with the timber circle to the tery to the site could have been as early as z85o cal. BC, east. Some of the pits had evidence of burning and were although this date may be too old due to erratic wiggles subsequently refilled and used as post-holes, a second in the calibration curve. He concluded that the subse- group of pits had deliberate deposits and some were quent Beaker phase commenced after z58o cal. BC and refilled and used as post-holes, and a third group were did not continue very long after z3oo cal. BC. Therefore deliberate post-holes. Sweetman interpreted the west- the Beaker chronological horizon at Newgrange may ern timber circle as a roofed structure with an inner have lasted 3oo-4oo years. circular area defined by a corridor (1987,296). In scale it is roughly the size of on Overton Hill (Pollard r99z), zr3), a generally contemporaneous THE MATERIAL ASSEMBLAGE structure, which may also have been roofed, and the The pottery assemblage at Newgrange was composed timber circle at Sarn-y-bryn-caled in Powys (Gibson of about r r,ooo sherds of some zro vessels representing r992,84-92 (see also Gibson this volume-Ed.) which four principal varieties: fine Beaker and coarse domestic was probably not roofed. At closer hand it is compar- Beaker, Grooved Ware, Late Neolithic decorated ware, able to the smaller Grooved Ware timber circle at and Food Vessel (Cleary 1983, 58-rr7). Although Knowth (Eogan & Roche 1993). representative of chronologically separate pottery tra- These structures are situated amongst a number of ditions, sherds of these vessels were found mixed in five hengiform enclosures known from the Boyne valley. main concentrations, or . Four of these were These include two sites at Newgrange, sites A and O, a situated in a restricted area about 3om in diameter in third site at and a fourth at the central excavation unit near the tomb enrrance. (Stout r99r). Monknewtown has been excavated by Concentration r was associated with flint, animal Sweetman (tsz6) and was also found to date to the bone, ash, and charcoal mixed through and beneath the Beaker period. These are characterized by hav- earth and stone layer, which sealed the layer of ing a flat-topped earthern bank ro-r4m in thickness and in a hollow above the oval hut foundation and r.z-2.5 m in height with no evidence for a con- (O'Kelly ry83, z6). Concentration 2 was opposite the struction ditch. The yellow clay bank at Newgrange (see tomb entrance in and around open air hearth 7. Con- below) is similar in construction to these, although it is centration J was east of the tomb entrance associated smaller in scale. The timber circles at Newgrange and with the foundation trench which enclosed hearth 5. the great stone circle appear to form part of this Concentration 4, which contained pottery, charcoal, complex. The replacement of a timber by a stone circle and ash, was to the east of this and associated with has parallels, especially at Stonehenge, and the enclo- hearth 5. In the northern part of the eastern excavation sure of a passage tomb by a stone circle is common area was the largest , Concentration 5, amongst the Scottish Clava passage tombs (Megaw & unassociated with any features. Simpson t979, r4o). The of the great Maes Similar pottery concentrations have been noted at Howe passage tomb by a deep ditch (ibid., t37), the other sites. O'Riorddin (r95r, 73-74 believed that the enclosure of the megalithic tomb at Ballynahatty, variety of broken pottery sherds and their proximity to Co. Down by a great bank (Hartwell r99r, q-r4) the stone uprights within the Grange stone circle at and the henge at Newgrange site A, which encloses , Co. indicated a ritual breaking. a mound which may cover a passage tomb, may Similar activities have been noted in the stone circle at all be comparable examples of the continued ritual Dromberg, Co. Cork (Fahy 1959, rz-r8), as well as at use of tombs by their incorporation into hengiform (\Wainwright & Longworth ry7r) enclosures. and the Sanctuary (Pollard r99z).The presence of

435 THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY

Pig Fragments East Old Grnd Level l 200 Grooved Ware at Newgrange and the Grange stone

1 000 circle and its association with henge monuments in 800 Britain indicates a common horizon of activity at New- 600 grange and the other great ceremonial centres such as 400 Durrington !7alls where Grooved Ware formed an 200 important part of the material assemblage. The recent 0 T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA discovery of Grooved Ware deposited, ritually, in the post-holes of a circular timber structure at Knowth (Eogan 6c Roche r993, r6) has emphasized the Pig Fragments Timber Circle I 200 Grooved Ware horizon in the Boyne Valley and Eogan

1 000 has suggested that the east timber circle at Newgrange 800 may also be part of the Grooved Ware complex (ibid., 600 r8). 400 Eogan (1992, rz6-rz7) has also emphasized the 200 wider elements of this complex, noting that rhe stone 0 T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA maceheads, the settlement at , the henges, the post-passage tomb complex in the Lochs of Harray and Stennes regions, the ring and stone circles of Pig Fragments Central A & B 1 200 Clava, the stone alignment at Callanish, and the stone 1 000 rows and associated monuments of Carnac, Brittany all 800 form a part of it. Richards and Thomas (1984, r9z- 600 r95) have argued in their re-examination of Durrington 400 'S(are 200 lfalls that Grooved pottery and its orna- 0 mentation, which in was closely related to T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA Irish passage tomb art, played an important symbolic role in ceremonial activities which also involved the Pig Fragments Vlest Old Grnd Level 'r 200 structured deoosition of animal remains. 1 000 800 600 FAUNAL REMAINS 400 200 Van Wijngaarden-Bakker (r986, zr, roz-ro6) identi- 0 fied rz,r9r bone fragments from O'Kelly's excava- T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA tions. The total number of unidentifiable bones was not quantified but consisted of diaphysis, skull, and rib fragments and was estimated at of the total Pig Fragments Under YCB 5o-6o"h l 200 remains (ibid., z3-zl. Therefore the total quantity of 1 000 recovered bone would have been in the region of 800 z4rooo-3or;oo fragments, Sweetman's excavations 600 400 have produced a further 877 fragments of which 88 200 were identifiable. To assess the nature of the New- 0 grange bone assemblage we must first come to some T M U H S P SCTB C V F R PVFM A AA understanding of what a domestic assemblage might be Fig. I like. Haughey's Fort, Co. Armagh was a defended settle- Numbers of identified pig bone fragments from each excavation area: T: teeth; M : mandible; [I = ulna; ment dating to rrTo-9o cal. BC-ro3o-77o cal. BC H = humerus; S : skull; p: phalanges; SC: scapula; (Mallory r99r, ro). Although a Late Bronze Age settle- TB : tibia; MC: metacarpal; C = calcaneus; ment it is nevertheless one of the few extensive Irish MT: metatarsal; : : V: vertebrae; F fibula; R radius; prehistoric domestic sites for which faunal analysis is py: pelvis; FM = femur;A;t:,"?"rr', AA : atlas and available and is therefore useful, at least, for compara- tive purposes. The faunal assemblage at Haughey's Fort

436 T8. C, MOUN'. RITUAL DEPOSITION AT NEWGRANGE. CO. MEATH

consisted of cattle and pig with small amounts of dog, Cattle Fragrnents East Old Grnd Surface I 200 horse, and sheep/goat. Analysis of the site is still in 1 000 progress and there is no information on the spatial 800 distribution of the animal bone published, but bone has 600 been found both in the waterlogged deposits of the 400 inner ditch and in a series of large internal pits. McCor- 200 mick ( r 99 r ) has analysed the assemblage from the inner 0 ditch and made a number of interesting comparisons T M U H S PSCTBC V F R PVFMAAA with the Newgrange material. Cattle represent 63o/o of Cattle Fragments Timber Circle the total minimum number of individuals at Haughey's 1 200 1 000 Fort and pig 3o.4"/". This is the reverse of the situation 800 at Newgrange where cattle were jr.5"/" of the remains 600 and pig 614"/o. McCormick could not attribute this 400 contrast to environmental factors as both Haughey's 200 and Newgrange Fort were situated within open land- 0 scape, ie, cattle rather than pig country. He concluded T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA '. . . that some socio-economic factors rather than sim- ple physical determinism is probably responsible ...'. Cattle Fragments Central A&B I 200 He also noted the high percentrage of pig found at , Co. Armagh in the Late Bronze Age-Early r 000 800 levels at 63J"h, in comparison with 29.6"/" cattle. That Navan Fort was an important ceremonial 600 400 I and religious centre is not in dispute (see Lynn 1986; ,f r99rl r99z) and the contrast between the faunal 200 os$ff$y assemblages there and at Haughey's Fort probably 0 T M U H S P SCTB C V F R PVFM A AA indicate the contrasts between a ceremonial site where pig was an important feasting animal and a domestic site where cattle were numerically as well as nutri- dominant. Although much the Cattle Fragments West Old Grnd Level tionally earlier in date 1 200 similarity between the Newgrange percentages and 1 000 those at Navan suggest that both may be regarded as 800 ceremonial assemblages. 600 400 Tbe Remains in the Timber Circles 200 0 In the eastern timber circle three rows of large pits, T M U H S PSCTBC V F R PVFMAAA resembling post-holes, within the arc of great pits and concentric with it, contained quantities of animal bone. These pits were steep-sided, c. 8o cm in depth and 3o- (Sweetman Cattle Fragments Under YCB 4ocm in diameter at the top r985, zor). 1 200

The fills consisted of black soil with charcoal and some 1 000 burnt clay. Animal bones were often found in these pits 800 on or under small rounded stones. The faunal remains 600 consisted of burnt and unburnt fragments, smaller than 400 70 mm. They ranged from unburnt, to smoked, burnt, 200 ffiaSft* partly calcined, and totally calcined. Some were o unfleshed when burnt while others were still flesh T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA covered and some fragments had remains of flesh and Fig'+ hair. There were a total of 552 fragments noted repre- Numbers of identified cattle bone fragments from each excavation area: see Figure for legend. senting cattle, pig, deer, dog, sheep, and goat. Burial 4 3 had 84 fragments representing r pig, z cattle, and 2

437 THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY

different breeds of dog. Burial 8 had rr8 calcined, fragments are presented by species within each excava- smoked, and burnt fragments representing a deer, dog, tion unit). She estimated that the minimum number of and an ox or second deer. Pit r5 had z4 fragments of individuals (MNI) consisted of a minimum of 58 which only one was burnt and represented a red deer animals, including 25 cattle (+l%) and 18 pig 3r%). and ox. These remains represent a deliberate treatment Sheep/goat, dog, and horse made up the remainder. and deposition of animal remains, primarily from the Some of this material, as noted above, had been deliber- relatively inedible parts of the animals (O'Sullivan e/ a/. ately placed into pits in the timber circle and back-filled. r985, zr9). These remains consisted principally of zr4 cattle bones, In the western timber circle, Pits r, 2, 4, and 19 88 pig bones, and 3o dog bones, but only z sheep/goat contained Beaker pottery and a number of the pits had (the smallest occurrence of sheep/goat on the site). deliberate deposits of burnt flint. Pit 6 had the rim of a Unfortunately the material from the old ground level is stone bowl. The faunal remains from the features not satisfactorily provenanced in any publication so (McCormick r987) consisted almost exclusively of pig that it is not possible to state how much of it came from astralagus and calcaneum with cattle fragments occur- the interior of the timber circle or how much was ring in only one pit. These were also deliberate deposits associated with the three hearths in this area. Van with the emphasis apparently on pig remains. The \il/ijngaarden-Bakker (r986, roo) noted that horse bone deposition of pig bone was also a at Woodhenge was absent from the pits of the timber circle and (Pollard r992, zz3, fig.Zb) where pig bone was placed suggested that these were the oldest features of the into the post-holes. complex and pre-dated the appearance of horses at the Richards and Thomas (1984, zo6) have suggested site. that animal remains represented an element of the The bone from the central excavation unit was natural world incorporated into the 'Wessex henges. divided into two groups: remains from the old ground Their treatment emphasized the ritual reordering of the surface and the granite/quartzlayer above it which was natural world and their potential symbolic power was contiguous with the kerb of the monument and the layer exploited to stress particular qualities (strength, of earth and stone above this (A), and the material from purity, dirtiness, etc.) or to stress ritual or social div- the subsurface features (B). It is unfortunate that the isions amongst the participants in ceremonies. .lt has faunal remains from so many contexts have been mixed been suggested that the deposition of human remains in this analysis, especially as some 44r identifred bone within megalithic tombs is patterned (see Shanks & fragments are noted and the total number of bones Tilley r98z; Clarke et al. r985, zz-24) so that it should collected was probably twice this figure or more. The A come as no surprise that the deposits of animal remains level includes at least four different contexts, including and artefacts outside tombs may this activity and an area covered by the yellow clay bank, which is display a structured depositional pattern of their own. stratigraphically later than the oval hut near the tomb The evidence from the timber circles strongly indi- entrance. The subsurfaces features are particularly cates the ceremonial and perhaps ultimately symbolic complex with material from the 'L-shaped foundation use of animal remains at the site and their deposition in trench'treated in the same way as material from the pits defined spatial areas. It will be tentatively suggested that to the north and south which are clearly part of the the ceremonial use and deposition of animal remains timber circle. Cooney (1987, rr4-rr5) has already may have occurred on other parts of the site as part of commented on this. Indeed the stratigraphic relation- contemporary and successive episodes of activity at the ship between the'L-shaped trench' and hearths 3, 4, site. and 5 (which are later than the timber circle) is not clear from the published report, however it appears that there V an W iingaarden-B akker's Analysis are a number of phases or episodes of activity, with the Van Wijngaarden-Bakker analysed the 2665 identifi- digging of the possibly pre-Beaker great oval pit fol- able bone fragments from the old ground level and the lowed by the construction of the east timber circle and 344 identifiable fragments from the pits of the timber the possibly contemporaneous western timber circle; circle in the eastern excavation unit together. The frag- the covering of part of the east timber circle by hearths z ments consis ted of 186z cattle bones, S 8 S pig bones, 8 r and 5; the digging of the 'L-shaped trench'; the con- sheep/goat bones, and 5 r horse bones from the eastern struction of the yellow clay bank over the southern end old ground level (Figs l-5; note that animal bone of the oval hut, and the covering of these features by $8 f

T8. C, Moun'. RITUAL DEPoSITION AT NEIVGRANGE. Co. MEATH

more Beaker occupation, a layer of granite and quartz, Horse Fragments East Old Grnd Level

which had Beaker material over it and a layer of earth 1 200 and stone; and finally the erection of the great stone circle. 1 000 Level A contained z186 catie bones, 1196 pig, zo3 sheep/goat, and 65 horse (Figs l-S). In terms of MNI 800 these were identified as 32 cattle (lr'/"), z6 pigs (lr%) 600 with sheep/goat (rz"h), dog ft2"/"), and horse (6%) respectively. The bone from the subsurface features 400 contrasted with this. It included "'34 catde (63.5%),8a pig, z5 sheep/goat, only r dog, and z4 horse bones 200 (6 . S%) .As MNI these were identified as 3 cattle (zl"/"), z pig (t5"/"), sheep/goat (r5"h), and dog. Signifi- 0 4 r T M U H S P SCTB C V F R PVFM A AA cantly the highest percentage of horse from the site (zl"h), representing three individuals, occurred in these features near the tomb entrance. Horse is not particu- Horse Fragments Central A & B larly abundant in the west of the site and if the chrono- logical arguments regarding the east timber circle were 1 200 set aside it could be suggested that horse remains were 1 000 deliberately deposited in this area. Cooney (1987,r r5) has argued thatthe bones from a 800 number of pits in this area were deliberate deposits, notably those from a pit beside hearth 3, probably part 600 of the timber circle, which contained zr catde frag- 400 ments, 4 pig, a single sheep/goat, and a deer tooth. The three pits dug into the base of the great oval pit con- 200 tained cattle jaws and unbroken metatarsals, the axial skeleton of a pig with atlas, axis, 5 cervical vertebrae, 0 and 4 thoracic vertebrae. Another pit contained a single large antler. The faunal remains from these features and levels need to be re-analysed and compared with the deposition of the pottery and lithic material before Horse Fragments West Area definite conclusions can be drawn, but this material appears to indicate a number of episodes of feasting. 1 200 In contrast to the eastern and central excavation units the central area of the western unit, beneath the yellow 1 000 clay bank, was dominated by pig bone. There were 800 to57 fragments of pig of which zz5 Qroh) were scapula, vertebrae, gl tibia, and 44 Qz"/") $Z.Z%) 600 t53 ft4.4o/o) teeth. The vast majority of the total animals represented, about ro4 individuals (ZS%), 400 were pig, in comparison with z5 cattle (tg%). This area also had low percentages of sheep/goat and a complete ?oo lack of horse as well as low values for dog. The special nature of this part of the site is emphasized by the 0 construction of a bank of stoneless yellow boulder clay T M U H S P SCTBC V F R PVFMAAA which sealed it. This method of construction contrasts Fig. s with the turf construction of the passage tomb mound. Numbers of identified horse bone fragments from each In comparison rr98 pig fragments were noted from excavation area: see Figure 3 for legend. the western old ground level and granite and quartz

439 THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY layer. These consisted of ro"/" scapula, 17.6"/o verte- the site linked to the deposition of pottery may have brae, 7.5"/" tibia, and fl.6"/" teeth. In the central A been aspects of ceremonial activities. \Tainwright & levels scapula were only 4"/" of the pig remains, verte- Longworth (r97r, r9o) and more recently Bradley brae z"/", tlbia 3oh, and teeth 54"/". ln the central B (r984,5r), and Richards & Thomas (r984, zo6)have layers pigs teeth were 4oo/o, vertebrae zoo/o, scapula suggested that the large amount of pork represented at 3 .5"/o . Clearly this patterning of body parts was not just Durrington Walls may represent the deliberately depos- a result of casual discard and taphonomy. Van ited refuse from ceremonial feasting. This kind of feast- Wijngaarden-Bakker recognized that specialized activi- ing may also account for the large quantities of meat ties must have been carried out on the western part of and especially pork noted at Newgrange. Animals could the site. She suggested that the area of cutting z6 under have been prepared in the area of the yellow clay bank the yellow clay bank was a butchering area in which pig for feasting and a significant portion of these remains vertebrae were discarded, some in an articulated state deposited in other areas of the site. If we total the (without removing the marrow), and the meat joints amount of usable meat at Durrington Valls (Tables r smoked and subsequently'used to tide the inhabitants and z) it amounts to over 34,ookg. In comparison the over the annual period of scarcity of food resources in total weight of usable meat represented at Newgrange early spring'. However, the large numbers of pigs teeth amounts to more than 46,ooo kg, a significantly higher in the central area are presumably the remains of man- quantity. It should also be borne in mind that the area dibles and skulls and it is not clear why, as part of the excavated at Newgrange is somewhat smaller than that smoking process large numbers of skulls should have at Durrington Walls, therefore this figure may well been discarded near the tomb entrance. There appears represent only a fraction of the total quantity of meat to be more than taphonomy and casual discard involved consumed at the site. in the contrasting portions of pig occurring on different Very little butchering evidence of the Newgrange parts of the site, with scapula and vertebrae in large cattle survived (Van Wijngaarden-Bakker ry86, 4o). numbers in the west area, teeth and presumably skulls The bones of cattle were not split for marrow in the central area and teeth, tibia, humerus, scapula, extraction and some femur fragments were also intact and calcaneum occurring in the pits of the east timber (ibid., 16). In ro-r57o of cases pig tibias were not circle. The numbers of cattle teeth in the central excava- broken for marrow extraction. In many instances verte- tion unit are also especially high. brae, proximal radius and ulna; distal humerus, proxi- It appears that a pattern of emphasis on different mal radius and ulna; central metacarpals, distal tibia animals and different animal parts in different areas of and astralagus; calcaneum, astralagus, etc. were found

TABLE I: FREQUENCY OF ANIMALS AND ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF MEAT AT NEVGRANGE (oere rnou vAN wIJNGAAnotN-nexxrn r986)

Kg of No. o/ Vo of total Total est. Vo of total KS of usable meat animals animals kg est. weight usable meat from total est. kg

Cattle (4oo) Lt) ro6 27"/" 42,4oo s8% 24,9ro Pig (roo) 8o zo6 fi% zo16oo 28"/" r6,48o Sheep/goat (25)* rz'5 z4 6"/" 6oo o.8zo/" 300 Dog (ro)* t 6% 230 o.317" II5 Horse (6oo)* loo IZ 3% too/o 31600 Red Deer (r9o)* 95 IO 3"h r,9oo 2.6"/o 950 Wild Boar (ro7)* 5J o.25"/" r07 o.t4"/" s3 _ _o/ Other wild fauna 9 r.) /o

Total )9r 71,o37 46,4o8 an estimated adult weight in kilogrammes * average weights from Milisauskas t978

440 T8. C. MOun'. RITUAL DEPOSITION AT NEV/GRANGE. CO. MEATH

TABLE 2: FREQUENCY OF ANIMALS AND ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF USABLE MEAT AT DURRINGTON VALLS (oere rnou vAINwRIGHT & LoNGwoRTu r97r)

Kg of No. o/ Vo of total Total est. Vo of total Ks of usable meat animals animals kg est. tueight usable meat from total est. kg

t to/^ Cattle (4oo) 235 85 34,OOO 6o"/" 19,97 5 Pig (roo) 8o rg8 6t% r9,8oo 3s% r 5,84o Sheep/goat (25)* rz.5 6 r50 o.26"/" 75

Dog (ro)* 5 4. j"/" o.o8"/" Horse (6oo)* 300 :" :' Red Deer (r9o)* 95 r4 a% 2,66o 4.7"/" r'iJo

Other wild fauna 5 r.6"h

Total tr3 56,7o2 37,24 5

Numbers in brackets refer to estimated weight in Kilogrammes x average weights from Milisauskas 1978

in association, suggesting they were deposited while still animals introduced to the site, and the cattle in particu- in an articulated state. The bones of the hind legs of the lar, were selected from a larger population which is not pigs sometimes had complete diaphysis indicating that represented at the site. In this scenario the cattle at marrow fracturing did not take place. Richards & Newgrange would represent the prime beef animals Thomas (r984, zo6) interpreted similar evidence from available from a number of herds in the Boyne Valley, Durrington Walls as indicating that the entire potential rather than a single representative population. This calorific content of the animals was not being consumed explanation would tend to account for the lack of and equated this minimal utilization with ceremonial animals between 2.5 and 3 years of age. Van feasting. The presence of articulated bones at Durring- Wijngaarden-Bakker suggested that a system of ton Walls and Newgrange also indicates that these transhumance was in operation in the Boyne Valley and portions were buried soon after consumption rather animals in this age group were kept on seasonal pasture than simply discarded. away from the site. Cooney (r9gr, 134-r1^5) has noted that the likely division of the Boyne Valley by land Animal Age at Slaugbter and Seasonality boundaries and the high quality of the pasture (today If one accepts that there was domestic habitation at cattle are moved to the Boyne valley for fattening rather Newgrange, and this was responsible for the accumula- than out of it) would have precluded the need to move tion of faunal remains at the site, then we should concur cattle seasonally. with van Wijngaarden-Bakker that the animal husban- Legge (t993) has examined the domestic cattle dry system primarily exploited animals for their meat remains from the Early Bronze Age deposits at Grimes rather than their secondary products. That author Graves and his conclusions, based on tooth eruption (ibid., +8) concluded from her examination of the and wear data from mandibles. indicates a much differ- phalanges and metapodials that there was no direct ent pattern at that site. He found a high rate of slaughter evidence for the castration of the Newgrange cattle, but in the first few months of life with 5o"/o of cattle killed that the equal numbers of males and females and the before 6 months, and considered the possibility of advanced age at slaughter $-4 years old) pleaded for it. seasonality but rejected this hypothesis in favour of a Oxen would of course have had the secondary use of husbandry system based on milking. providing traction. The low numbers of elderly cattle (5 At Newgrange the numbers of bones from neonatal years and older) would also suggest that they were not and juvenile cattle may have been depressed due to a specifically kept for milking. However, when one con- number of factors. Taphonomic processes may have siders the ceremonial activities associated with the tim- played a role as juvenile bones are often small and ber and stone circles, then it is conceivable that the fragile and do not survive well. The methods of

44t THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY

archaeological retrieval may also have decreased the large amount of pig represented on the site which numbers of juvenile bones if larger bones were collected compares with high pig numbers at large ceremonial more readily and if, appears likely, no sieving of depos- centres like Durrington Walls and later at Navan Fort is its took place during the excavation. As only half the important and contrasts with domestic sites like Haug- recovered fragments or less were identified this may also hey's Fort where cattle were numerically dominant. The have introduced a bias into the age estimates. It is of occurence of a number of hengiform ritual circles of interest in this light that van Wijngaarden-Bakker timber, stone, and earth at Newgrange and throughout (1986,71 noted that the bones of most of the juvenile the Boyne Valley and the deposition of a portion of the pigs had also disappeared from the archaeological Newgrange animal remains into pits in these circles is record. However this would still not account for the significant and links the use of animal remains at New- lack of cattle betlveen 2.5 and 3 years of age and the grange to the British henges and especially Durrington remeasurement of the bones on which this esrimare is Valls. The apparently structured deposition of animal based may be required. It may be that only the fat beef remains, especially pig and possibly horse, in other cattle were selected and brought to the site, and the areas of the site, combined with the unusual age struc- juveniles and older milking cows, bulls, and oxen left in ture of the cattle all contradict a simple domestic inter- their pastures. pretation of the site. It seems likely that a proportion, if At Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire (Pearson not most, of the animal bones represent a series of 1993, 78-8r) a Beaker burial in a wooden mortuary deliberate deposits connected with episodes of cere- structure within a barrow had the remains of r 8a cattle monial activity at the complex over a period of time. skulls, 38 mandibles, 33 shoulder blades, and r5 pel- This being the case it is by no means certain that this vises deposited on it. Analysis showed that most of the faunal assemblage is representative of the economy of cattle were about z years old and male. The lack of the Late Neolithic/Beaker peoples of the Boyne Valley. younger animals is reminiscent of Newgrange and the In this light we may consider the possibility that rather possibility that specialized ritual deposits are repre- than a system of mobile pastoralism a relatively mixed sented at both sites has important consequences for our agriculture could have been practiced in the Boyne interpretation of the economy of the Late Neolithic and Valley by a relatively settled and stable population. Beaker periods. If the animal remains at Newgrange are Acknowledgements. I am grateful to Gabriel Cooney, the remains of feasting then they cannot be used to Eoin Grogan, and Seamus Caulfield for discussion and support the idea of a population operating a system of their comments on an earlier version paper. The pastoral transhumance. of this comments of the referees were particularly helpful and I The seasonal use of the site is nor necessarily implied would like to thank them for their commenrs and by the other animal remains either. Van Wijngaarden- especially Dr Cooney for discussing and re-reading the Bakker (t986, 88) noted that the presence of shed paper prior to publication. The figures are by the antlers at Newgrange suggested deliberate collection in author. April and May of each year. She (ibid.,75) also noted that while of the pigs were slaughtered between Zo"/" BIBLIOGRAPHY October and April, 3o"/o were slaughtered between Atkinson, R.J. C., Piggott, C. M. and Sanders, N. K. r95r. April and September, clearly indicating activity that Excauations at Dorcbester, Oxon. Oxford: Ashmolean continued on the site during the spring and summer Museum. months. The occurrence of more young adult sheep/ Bradley, R. ry76. Maumbury Rings, Dorchester: the excava- goat and few mature/old individuals (ibid., 77) at the tions of r9o8-r9r1. Archaeologia ro1, r-97. site is also of interest. If we accept that lambs were born Bradley, R. 1984. The Social Foundations of . Harlow: Longman. in the spring then the death of young sheep, under rz Burl, H. A.'W. t969. Henges: internal features and regional months, may indicate they were that kept at or brought groups. Archaeological Journal rz9, r-28. to the site year round (Legge 1993, z8). Clark, J. G.D. ry76. The timber monument at Arminghall and its affinities. Proceedings of tbe Prehistoric Society z, I_5 I. coNCLUSToN Clark, D.V., Cowie, T.G. & Foxon,A. 1985. Symbols of The definitive statement on the faunal and materiat c[::y:'K.'f;.'':;;{t'T#*r:,;!#o"J,t1n.ur,*.. ,., remains from Newgrange has yet to be written. The M.J.O'Kelly,R.M.-Cleary&D.Lehane, Newgraige,Co.

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F T8. C. MOuN'. RITUAL DEPOSITION AT NEWGRANGE. CO, MEATH r Meath, . The Late NeolithiclBeaker period settle- O'Kelly, M.J., Cleary, R.M., & Lehane,D. 1981. Neu- ment. Oxford: British Archaeological Report Sr9o. grange, Co. Meath, Ireland. The Late NeolithiclBeaker Cooney, G. ry87. North Leinster in the Earlier Prehistoric period settlement Oxford: British Archaeological Report Period. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University College Sr 9o. Dublin. O'Riorddin, S.P. r95r. Lough Gur excavations: the great Cooney,G. r99r. Irish Neolithic landscapes and land use stone circle (B) in Grange Townland. Proceedings of the systems: the implications of field systems. Rural History Royal Irish Academy 54c, j7-74. z.z, r23-r39. O'Sullivan, V.R., Gunn, H.M., Monk,J., & O'Donnab- Cunnington, M.E. r93r. The sanctuary on Overton Hill near h6in, B. r985. Appendix II: Anatomical report on the bones Avebury. tX/iltshire Arcbaeological and Natural History from the pit burials. In D.Sweetman, 1985. A Late Magazine 45, 3oo-J35. Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pit circle at Newgrange, Co. Eogan, G. 1992. Scottish and lrish Passage Tombs: some Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 85c, r95- comparisons and contrasts. In N. Sharples & A. Sheridan LzI. (eds), Vessels for the Ancestors. Edinburgh. Pearson, M.P. ry97. . London: Batsford/ Eogan,G & Roche,H. rgg3.Neolithic ritual at Knowth? English Heritage. Archaeology lreland 7.4, 16-18. Pollard, J.r99t. The Sanctuary, Overton Hill, : a Fahy, E. M. r959. A at Drombeg, Co. re-examination. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 58, Cork. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological zr7-226. Society 64, r-27. Richards, C. & Thomas,I.t984. Ritual activity and structure Grogan,E. r99r. Radiocarbon dates from Brugh na B6inne. deposition in Later Neolithic Wessex. In R. Bradley and In G. Eogan, Prehistoric and Early Historic culture change J.Gardiner (eds), r994. Neolithic Studies. Oxford: British at Brugh Na B6inne. 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Meath: final r977-TS.Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of report. Proceedings of the Royal lrisb Academy 86c, Scotland rrr,63-t7r, r7-rr2. Milisauskas, S.M. r978. European , New York: Woodman, P. r985. Prehistoric Settlement and Environment, Academic. in K. J. Edwards & W. P. Warren (eds), r985, The Quar- O'Kelly, M. J. 1982. Newgrange: Archaeology, art and ternary History of lreland, London, z5t-278. legend. Dublin: Thames and Hudson.

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